Well, I’ve (re)discovered something very important about myself – I can’t focus to save my life. On top of that, distractions are rife. When it comes to getting things done, my attention span peters out after 30 seconds or so, usually broken by the phone ringing or an insistent “Mum!” from the short man.

I made a good start but by Day 7 of the Challenge I was ready to throw my hands in the air and give it up as a bad idea. I was flitting from task to task as time permitted and felt like I was making no progress whatsoever.

Then I walked into my kitchen and realised that the bench was clean and clear. There was still clutter but the room felt a bit larger, emptier than it had a week ago. The living room was the same – there were still a few toys lying around, but the room itself looked better. The thought of heading down to the laundry didn’t fill me with dread. I flipped back through my Challenge folder and realised that many items could be ticked off, even if I hadn’t got them done on the set day.

Marla Cilley (FlyLady)’s, often repeated advice of “Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family” came to mind. Some effort was worth way more than none at all, and keeping up with some of the Challenge was better than not trying at all.

So I’m persevering with it, even if imperfectly! The task sheets are brilliant and I’m working through them bit by bit. I’m not stressing any more about getting the “right” task done on the “right” day, but focusing more on what tasks will fit around each days already busy timetable.